Speckled Spinetail

About the Speckled Spinetail

The speckled spinetail (Thripophaga gutturata) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

The speckled spinetail was previously place in genus Cranioleuca but a study published in 2011 places it in Thripophaga. BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World made the change by 2018 and the International Ornithological Committee and the Clements taxonomy followed suit in 2023. The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society retains the old genus but acknowledges the need for the change and is seeking a formal proposal for it.

The speckled spinetail is monotypic. However, there are plumages differences across its range. At least two subspecies in addition to the nominate have been proposed, and "reanalysis of variation throughout range is required".

The spectacled spinetail is 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 13 to 17 g (0.46 to 0.60 oz). Adults have an ochraceous brown supercilium, ear coverts, and malars; the last two have dark brownish speckles... Wikipedia →